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☆ UN report details horrifying Ukrainian accounts of rape, torture and executions by Russian troops
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Amanda Macias | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The report by the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine details violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in four regions occupied by Russian armed forces. In some cases, the commission found that Ukrainian forces committed war crimes against Russian troops, though those incidents were less frequent. An 83-year-old woman described how, while her village was occupied by Russian armed forces, she was raped by a Russian armed forces serviceman in her house where her physically disabled husband was also present. The commission wrote that some victims declined to be interviewed while others have considered suicide. The report also documents Russian forces unlawfully confining Ukrainian civilians in overcrowded makeshift facilities before carrying out interrogation sessions which involved methods of torture:

☆ ECB policymakers stick with hike plans even as recession looms
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Balazs Koranyi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/2] Signage is seen outside the European Central Bank (ECB) building, in Frankfurt, Germany, July 21, 2022. But policymakers on Friday appeared to be on message that rates will keep going up. Investors now see ECB rates peaking at around 2.75%, above levels near 2.5% seen on Thursday after the ECB's rate hike and language tweaks. RECESSIONThe policymakers' reinforcement of the rate hike message comes as a recession now looks almost certain, and will likely prompt a barrage of further criticism from European leaders. But ECB chief Christine Lagarde pushed back on the criticism on Thursday, arguing that breaking inflation was the ECB's chief mission and governments could help by providing targeted support for the most vulnerable.

The rulings come as Google faces increased antitrust scrutiny across the world. Google plans to appeal the decision, where it faces a record $4.1 billion fine. The Competition Commission of India's (CCI) Android ruling, despite involving a smaller $162 million fine, has worried Google since it seeks wider ranging remedial measures, three sources aware of company's thinking said. Google has faced criticism globally that it licenses its Android operating system to smartphones players but signs restrictive agreements that are anti-competitive. The order "will give rise to more choice and innovation for Indian developers," Indus said this week.

For these reasons, the ECB said banks would have to start paying going rates on their TLTRO credit, rather than the average rate over the whole duration of the loans. But the rate the ECB pays commercial banks is now back in positive territory and is likely to rise further. Analysts have warned changing the terms of loans already outstanding could deter banks from tapping similar loans in future downturns. The TLTRO cash also creates additional demand for low-risk securities, limiting the rise in rates on repurchase agreements and short-dated government bond yields. , Lagarde said that also factored into the ECB's decision.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump throws caps as he attends a rally in Warren, Michigan, U.S., October 1, 2022. Former President Donald Trump and related defendants are opposing New York Attorney General Letitia James' call for an independent monitor to oversee the Trump Organization's submission of financial statements to third parties as part of a bombshell fraud lawsuit, according to a new court filing. James has asked a judge to name a watchdog who would review financial information that the company and defendants give lenders, insurers and accountants pending the outcome of the lawsuit. The attorney general's office requested the watchdog as part of a sweeping September lawsuit accusing Trump, three of his adult children, their company and others of a decadelong fraud related to financial statements. The lawyers argued that it "is precluded under our Constitution and must and should therefore be rejected."

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) said Google (GOOGL.O) used its "dominant position" to force app developers to use its in-app payment system, noting the sale of in-app digital goods is a key means for developers to monetize their work. Google should ensure complete transparency in communicating with app developers and details about service fees charged, the CCI added. The investigation into Google's payment ecosystem was started in 2020, after an antitrust case was filed against Google. "The CCI order directing Google to allow alternate payment processing systems will remove the artificial barrier that Google had erected," Chopra said, declining to disclose the name of the complainant for whom he had filed the case. Of late, Google has begun to allow alternative payment systems in more countries.

☆ Spanish soccer fan walking to Qatar World Cup missing in Iran
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Spanish man, Santiago Sanchez, walks in Iraq's Kurdistan region towards Qatar, where he aims to attend the 2022 World Cup, near Zakho, Iraq August 28, 2022. REUTERS/Charlotte BruneauMADRID, Oct 26 (Reuters) - A 41-year-old Spanish soccer fan who set out to walk to Qatar to attend the World Cup in November has gone missing in Iran, where unrest has erupted in the past few weeks, Spain's foreign ministry has confirmed. Spain's Foreign Ministry confirmed Sanchez was in Iran and its embassy in Tehran was urgently seeking information on his whereabouts to provide him with consular assistance. He has already been to Iran, it's a hospitable country... but this time it was a delicate moment." He told Reuters in Zakho in Iraqi Kurdistan last month that he hoped he might meet the Spanish team and inspire them to victory in the 2022 World Cup.

☆ Beyond Catastrophe: A New Climate Reality Is Coming Into View
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( David Wallace-Wells | Photographs Devin Oktar Yalkin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +53 min

Beyond Catastrophe A New Climate Reality Is Coming Into View By David Wallace-WellsYou can never really see the future, only imagine it, then try to make sense of the new world when it arrives. (A United Nations report released this week ahead of the COP27 climate conference in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, confirmed that range.) A little lower is possible, with much more concerted action; a little higher, too, with slower action and bad climate luck. There were climate-change skeptics in some very conspicuous positions of global power. New emissions peaks are expected both this year and next, which means that more damage is being done to the future climate of the planet right now than at any previous point in history.

☆ In California, two Asian Americans fight for a seat in the House — and with each other
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Kimmy Yam | Kimmy Yam Is A Reporter For Nbc Asian America. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +9 min

As the midterms loom, one key House race in California is drawing significant attention both to Asian Americans in the district, and from them. The race features a rare matchup between two Asian Americans, and the result hinges on Asian Americans, who make up about a third of the district’s voters. “I think here, we’re seeing a wake-up call,” Connie Chung Joe, chief executive of Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California, told NBC News. Within the electorate, almost half are of Vietnamese descent, one of the few Asian American groups that tends to lean right. It’s something, Joe said, that white candidates, for example, can “take for granted.”But Wong added that accusing another Asian American candidate of being disloyal “hurts the whole Asian American community.”As fiery as the race has been, it’s also reflective of a political maturation within the Asian American community, experts say.

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) said Google (GOOGL.O) used its "dominant position" to force app developers to use its in-app payment system, noting the sale of in-app digital goods is a key means for developers to monetize their work. Google should ensure complete transparency in communicating with app developers and details about service fees charged, the CCI order added. The investigation into Google's payment ecosystem was started in 2020, after an antitrust case was filed against Google. "The CCI order directing Google to allow alternate payment processing systems will remove the artificial barrier that Google had erected," Chopra said, declining to disclose the name of the complainant for whom he had filed the case. Of late, Google has begun to allow alternative payment systems in more countries.

☆ India fines Google $113 mln in second antitrust penalty this month
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) said Google forced app developers to use its in-app payment system, noting selling of in-app digital goods makes up an important means for developers to monetize their work. Google is also facing a separate probe into its business conduct in the Indian smart TV market. "The Commission hereby directs Google to cease and desist from indulging in anti-competitive practices," CCI said in a statement on Tuesday. It said Google should not restrict app developers from using any third-party billing or payment processing services, either for in-app purchases or for purchasing apps. Google has faced criticism globally for mandating that software developers using its app store must use a proprietary in-app payment system that charges commissions of up to 30% on purchases made within an app.

☆ Biden knows there are limits on American power, but they're nowhere to be found in his first major security strategy
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Gil Barndollar | Defense Priorities | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

This month, the Biden administration released its long-delayed National Security Strategy. The brief moment of post-Cold War American hyperpower is long gone, a victim of both natural power dynamics and three decades of incessant American foreign policy hubris and error. Six months before the assault on Ukraine began, the Biden administration admitted the limits of American power in another land that defeated Russian invaders: Afghanistan. The saving grace of the National Security Strategy may be its meaninglessness. The Biden administration's actual emerging national security strategy could be far better than the document lets on.

☆ Pakistan ex-PM Khan announces march on capital to call for early elections
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Mubasher Bukhari | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LAHORE, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan announced on Tuesday that he would begin a protest march with his supporters from the eastern city of Lahore to Pakistan's capital Islamabad on Friday to call for early elections. "I am marching to press the government to announce elections immediately," he said, adding his supporters and party members should avoid violence. Last week's ruling has added to the political and economic uncertainty plaguing Pakistan this year. The political instability has also fuelled economic uncertainty, with international ratings agencies questioning if the current government can maintain difficult economic policies in the face of political pressure and looming elections. ($1 = 220.5000 Pakistani rupees)Reporting by Mubasher Bukhari; Writing by Charlotte Greenfield; editing by Grant McCoolOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Juul discusses possible bailout with two of its biggest investors - WSJ
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Oct 24 (Reuters) - Juul Labs Inc is in talks with two of its investors about a bailout that could help it avoid a bankruptcy filing, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday, citing people familiar with the matter. The bailout would help Juul stay in business and pursue the resolution of a dispute with federal regulators over whether its products can remain on the U.S. market, according to the report. In July, Juul had said it was in the early stages of exploring several options including financing alternatives. read moreJuul did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment, while parent Altria Group (MO.N) deferred questions to Juul. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Juby Babu in Bengaluru; Editing by Devika SyamnathOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Michigan school shooter, 16, pleads guilty to killing four classmates
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( Marlene Lenthang | Marlene Lenthang Is A Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Ethan Crumbley, the 16-year-old accused of gunning down four schoolmates last year in a Michigan suburb, pleaded guilty Monday to all charges against him. He was charged as an adult with the murders as well as wounding six other students and a teacher at Oxford High School on Nov. 30, 2021. His lawyers had previously filed an insanity plea but they dropped that filing to go forward with the guilty plea. The Oxford High School shooting drew national attention, not just for the killings — but for the prosecution of the Crumbley's parents, James and Jennifer Crumbley. NBC News has reached out to Crumbley's attorneys and the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office for comment.

Nairobi CNN Business —Arshad Sharif, a prominent Pakistani journalist who fled the country after he was charged with sedition, has died in Kenya after he was shot by police responding to reports of a stolen vehicle, authorities said. Sharif was “fatally wounded by a police officer,” he said, adding that the incident was being investigated. “I lost friend, husband and my favourite journalist @arsched today, as per police he was shot in Kenya,” Sharif’s wife, Javeria Siddique, tweeted Monday. Sharif had “only been in Kenya for a few weeks since that is one of the few places Pakistani passport holders don’t need a visa for entry,” the associate said. “Sharif’s death has robbed the media fraternity globally of a dedicated and forthright journalist,” FPA Africa said in a statement.

☆ Uganda says two more Ebola cases confirmed in Kampala hospital
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NAIROBI, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Two more people in an isolation unit of Uganda's main hospital have tested positive for Ebola, bringing total cases recorded in the facility to five, the health minister said on Sunday. Health Minister Jane Ruth Aceng said on Saturday that three patients among 60 people in isolation at Kampala's Mulago Hospital tested positive for the disease a day earlier. "Two more contacts to the Kassanda case, who are quarantined in Mulago Isolation facility, tested positive for Ebola yesterday..." Aceng said on Twitter. It was not clear if the numbers included the three first new Kampala cases. The government said last week two other cases of Ebola confirmed in Kampala had come from Mubende and were regarded as originating there, not the capital.

☆ South Africa's Ramaphosa to give response to graft inquiry
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

CAPE TOWN, Oct 23 (Reuters) - South African president Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday submits his response to recommendations from a state inquiry into alleged corruption during his predecessor's presidency. A judicial commission of inquiry was established to examine allegations of high-level graft during former president Jacob Zuma's nine years in power from 2009 to 2018. The inquiry found that Zuma had allowed businessmen close to him - brothers Atul, Ajay and Rajesh Gupta - to plunder state resources and influence policy, commonly known as 'state capture' in South Africa. Ramaphosa's written response has not been published, but a presidential statement said he is expected to address the nation on Sunday evening. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Wendell Roelf Editing by David GoodmanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Ebola tests are positive for three people in Uganda hospital
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Oct 22 (Reuters) - Three people in an isolation unit of Uganda's main hospital have tested positive for Ebola, the country's health minister said on Saturday. "Yesterday ... three individuals from among the 60 in our Mulago isolation facility tested positive for Ebola," Jane Ruth Aceng said on Twitter. The government has introduced a three-week lockdown around the Mubende and Kassanda districts in central Uganda, the epicentre of the outbreak of the Sudan variant of the Ebola virus. The government said last week two other cases of Ebola confirmed in Kampala had come from Mubende and were regarded as originating there, not the capital. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by George Obulutsa; Editing by Kirsten DonovanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Uganda health minister:3 people in Kampala hospital positive for Ebola
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Oct 22 (Reuters) - Three people in an isolation unit of Uganda's main hospital have tested positive for Ebola, the country's health minister said on Saturday. "Yesterday ... three individuals from among the 60 in our Mulago isolation facility tested positive for Ebola," Jane Ruth Aceng said on Twitter. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterMulago is in Uganda's capital Kampala. The government said last week two other cases of Ebola confirmed in Kampala had come from Mubende and were regarded as originating there, not the capital. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by George Obulutsa; Editing by Kirsten DonovanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Former Pakistan leader Imran Khan disqualified from holding office
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

ISLAMABAD — Pakistan’s elections commission on Friday disqualified former Prime Minister Imran Khan from holding public office for five years, accusing him of unlawfully selling state gifts and concealing assets, his spokesman and officials said. Chaudhry condemned the move and urged Khan’s supporters to protest publicly. Balkh Ser Khosa, a prominent lawyer, said the commission disqualified Khan from holding public office because he unlawfully sold state gifts given to him by other countries when he was in power. Banaras Khan / AFP via Getty ImagesLaw Minister Azam Nazir Tarar confirmed that the commission found Khan guilty of the charges. Tarar said Khan has been disqualified from holding public office for five years.

☆ CDC is discussing using oral polio vaccine for first time in 20 years to stop New York outbreak
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

"There will be lots of thought and discussion about the reintroduction of an oral polio vaccine into the United States," she said. The oral polio vaccine is much more effective at stopping transmission of the virus and is normally used to quash outbreaks. The novel oral polio vaccine was developed to stop poliovirus outbreaks caused by the less stable older version of the vaccine, according to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. Any decision to use the novel oral polio vaccine would require either an approval or emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration. The World Health Organization recommends that countries using the inactivated vaccine, such as the U.S., consider deploying the novel oral polio vaccine if the inactivated shots don't stop the outbreak.

☆ Google calls India antitrust watchdog's Android decision a "setback" for consumers
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A man walks past the sign of "Google for India", the company's annual technology event in New Delhi, India, September 19, 2019. REUTERS/Sankalp PhartiyalBENGALURU, Oct 21 (Reuters) - Alphabet Inc's (GOOGL.O) Google said on Friday that the Indian antitrust watchdog's decision to fine it 13.38 billion Indian rupees ($161.95 million) for anti-competitive practices was a "major setback" for consumers and businesses in the country. read moreBesides the fine, the CCI also ordered Google to change its approach to its Android platform and restricted it from certain revenue sharing agreements with smartphone makers. "The CCI's decision is a major setback for Indian consumers and businesses, opening serious security risks for Indians who trust Android's security features, and raising the cost of mobile devices for Indians." Google said it will review the decision to evaluate next steps.

☆ Indian regulators hit Google with $162 million fine over anticompetitive practices
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Swati Gupta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New Delhi CNN Business —Google is facing the heat in India. The country’s antitrust regulator has imposed a penalty of approximately 13.4 billion rupees ($162 million) on Alphabet Inc’s Google for abusing its “dominant position in multiple markets in the Android mobile device ecosystem.”The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has asked Google to modify its conduct in relation to anti-competitive practices. Google has been pouring some serious cash into India, which is a key overseas market for American tech firms. The world’s second most populous country has 750 million internet users, and millions more are expected to come online in the future. In 2020, Google said it was planning to invest $10 billion in India as part of plans to make the internet “affordable and useful” for a billion people.

The U.S. company is facing a series of antitrust cases and the tightening of existing tech-sector regulations in India. The competition watchdog is separately looking in to Google's business conduct in the smart TV market and its in-app payments system. The Android-related probe, started in 2019, was sparked by a complaint from two junior Indian antitrust research associates and a law school student. Google was ordered by India on Thursday not to restrict smartphone users from uninstalling its pre-installed apps like Google Maps and Gmail. Google's Android operating system powers 97% of India's 600 million smartphones, according to Counterpoint Research.

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